CLEARLAKE - Clearlake's City Council has hired an interim police chief and has interviews planned with candidates for its city administrator position, according to the incoming mayor.

Judy Thein, who served as mayor in 2005 and vice mayor in 2006, said Wednesday that she will once again serve as mayor for 2007.

Thein said the council has hired an interim police chief, Larry Todd, to fill in after Chief Bob Chalk retires at month's end.

Todd, a retiree, has previously served at the Los Gatos Police Department, said Thein, and has excellent credentials.

"He has spent one week with us, and he will be back officially Jan. 8," she said.

Thein said she's looking forward to working with Todd, who was recommended to the council for the position.

She said Todd will help the city recruit a permanent police chief.

"He's going to come in and analyze the department, sort out where the problems area and the areas of opportunity," she said. "Then he'll know what we're looking for, what will be a good fit for us."

The council also is in the process of trying to hire a new city administrator.

Thein said the council will hold a closed session during its Jan. 3 meeting, at which time it will interview two city administrator candidates.

Thein said the city hasn't officially advertised for a permanent city administrator. It was the council consensus, she said, to first see what they could find on their own, through references. The two candidates they have now, she said, came to them through word-of-mouth references. Neither individual, she said, is a city employee.

Since the council dismissed Kathy Kivley in November – a decision that Thein and fellow council member, Curt Giambruno, voted against – the city has once again retained the services of Robert Van Nort as interim city administrator, who filled the position for the city after longtime city administrator David Lane left.

Van Nort, who is a retiree, can only work for the council for 400 hours without jeopardizing his retirement, said Thein, so the council is under a deadline to find another administrative officer.

"He has to be gone by February," she said, which is unfortunate because, she added, "We'd love to keep him."

The council may end up hiring another interim candidate or a person to fill the role on a permanent basis from the Jan. 3 interviews, she said.

Thein said the council members haven't reached a consensus about the characteristics they want in a new city administrator. For her part, she said she would like to see someone in the job who is people-oriented, who emphasizes customers service.

Customer service is going to be a prime issue for her in the coming year, Thein said .

"I want to try to bring our city back together again," she said. "There's dissension in the city right now."

Thein intends to do outreach to the community, and hopes to host a series of town hall meetings, each of which will focus on one issue proposed by community members.

"We have to bring our community together, and the best way to do it is to involve the community," she said.

Thein said she has heard feedback from the community that includes concern that city residents weren't included more in recent decisions regarding staff.

She said that some community members have told her they didn't feel that recent council decisions have been transparent. Thein added that transparency in the city's government is important to her.

With the recent additions to the council of Roy Simons and Chuck Leonard - elected in November and sworn in at the Dec. 14 meeting - Thein said she's looking forward to working with a full council.

"We all have different opinions, which is good, because we want diversity, but I think we can come together on the issues," she said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..